― Artistic Expression Critique ⇒ Castle Creation, Help Needed

[minniev]

I undertook this one as practice in my ongoing largely failed quest to integrate extractions of painted/drawn art into photographs. Tell me how it might work better.

Options:
Run the photo through more paint type filters before starting to simplify it
Wait and run the whole concoction through paint filters once it's together
Alter lighting more, either as a whole or with the individual pieces or both
Better shadow work
Give up

[Psjunkie]

not really knowing what you are after here I'm having a hard time thinking of any advice other than "not option five"....do not give up!!

[minniev]

not really knowing what you are after here I'm having a hard time thinking of any advice other than "not option five"....do not give up!!

I want to make non photographed figures and objects fit better into a photographed object.

[PietFrancke]

try this… I am suspecting that it is saturation that holds the issue. Convert the image to B/W (just to see it without any color at all). Fix any issues, adding shadows, changing brightness, etc until it looks OK. Then slowly reapply your color and see at what point it goes Kaput. I am thinking it looks ok from a sharpness point of view, and the shadows/lighting (on the surface anyway) looks ok, so it might be color too strong.

[minniev]

try this… I am suspecting that it is saturation that holds the issue. Convert the image to B/W (just to see it without any color at all). Fix any issues, adding shadows, changing brightness, etc until it looks OK. Then slowly reapply your color and see at what point it goes Kaput. I am thinking it looks ok from a sharpness point of view, and the shadows/lighting (on the surface anyway) looks ok, so it might be color too strong.

Good idea, I'll try it.

BTW, is that your hand sticking out of the hole in the lower wall?

[Psjunkie]

Also think about clipping masks with your adjustments of the characters if they are cut out separately......I do see one hard round brush stroke above the owl, an inadvertent click no doubt..think of some of the surrounding color reflecting on to your characters as another way to blend them into the scene in addition to getting the light right.......

[PietFrancke]

try this… I am suspecting that it is saturation that holds the issue. Convert the image to B/W (just to see it without any color at all). Fix any issues, adding shadows, changing brightness, etc until it looks OK. Then slowly reapply your color and see at what point it goes Kaput. I am thinking it looks ok from a sharpness point of view, and the shadows/lighting (on the surface anyway) looks ok, so it might be color too strong.

Good idea, I'll try it.

BTW, is that your hand sticking out of the hole in the lower wall?

Nope - this is all you! My hand is not in this. I agree with Frank about the idea of blending in some of the surrounding colors on the figures. I am thinking that it isn't saturation that is off, it is that the colors are so "pure" - (uncontaminated by their surroundings)

[minniev]

try this… I am suspecting that it is saturation that holds the issue. Convert the image to B/W (just to see it without any color at all). Fix any issues, adding shadows, changing brightness, etc until it looks OK. Then slowly reapply your color and see at what point it goes Kaput. I am thinking it looks ok from a sharpness point of view, and the shadows/lighting (on the surface anyway) looks ok, so it might be color too strong.

Good idea, I'll try it.

BTW, is that your hand sticking out of the hole in the lower wall?

Nope - this is all you! My hand is not in this. I agree with Frank about the idea of blending in some of the surrounding colors on the figures. I am thinking that it isn't saturation that is off, it is that the colors are so "pure" - (uncontaminated by their surroundings)

I'm not entirely sure how to go about it, but I'll tinker!

[PietFrancke]

Good idea, I'll try it.

BTW, is that your hand sticking out of the hole in the lower wall?

Nope - this is all you! My hand is not in this. I agree with Frank about the idea of blending in some of the surrounding colors on the figures. I am thinking that it isn't saturation that is off, it is that the colors are so "pure" - (uncontaminated by their surroundings)

I'm not entirely sure how to go about it, but I'll tinker!

sure you do (at least as well as the rest of us)… do a new layer, set it to color - make your brush equal to the surrounding color by hitting alt and clicking on color desired, and then dab that color lightly around the edges and even on your figures.

[minniev]

Nope - this is all you! My hand is not in this. I agree with Frank about the idea of blending in some of the surrounding colors on the figures. I am thinking that it isn't saturation that is off, it is that the colors are so "pure" - (uncontaminated by their surroundings)

I'm not entirely sure how to go about it, but I'll tinker!

sure you do (at least as well as the rest of us)… do a new layer, set it to color - make your brush equal to the surrounding color by hitting alt and clicking on color desired, and then dab that color lightly around the edges and even on your figures.

Well gee I didn’t think of that. Thanks!